Mena Water Scarcity Conservation Strategies

Water is one of the most limited resources in the MENA region. What strategies are needed to conserve the resource?

Currently, nearly 60% of the Middle East and North African residents are experiencing some form of water shortage or crisis. In 2021 alone, roughly 8 million acres of arable land could potentially be lost due to land degradation. As a result many residents in the areas are experiencing an existential crisis related to their ability to access and use water sources in a sustainable manner. This scarcity of water also has economic consequences for the country. For one business are less likely to develop and grow within the region. Likewise, without proper water, the ability to grow and develop necessary crops and other food supplies is heavily diminished. This places financial pressures on residents as necessities such as food and water must be imported from neighboring countries. These heightened costs put further pressures on MENA residents as they struggle with water scarcity and the resulting consequences. Heighted confrontations, lack of economic development, and overall sustainability problems are all issues that are caused by lack of proper water resources. These confrontations have escalated over recent years as more nations looks to harness more water resources for their individual residents (Malin, 1992). For example, Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia have long been in dispute over the construction of the Grand Ethiopian damn which parties concerned about water resources used to fill the dam. The united nations have even warned about the weaponization of water within Libya which has seen is drinkable water supply decrease dramatically over the last few years (Bowser, 2010).

The first strategies to conserve water in the region is a higher degree of cooperation from governments within the region. This is the first strategy that requires adoption as it helps prevent war, regional conflicts and other conflicts. By have strict guidelines that can be used in the conservation process, governments can help mitigate very damaging and costly disputes between rival nations. These disputes can even escalate into cost wars that could potentially cause further harm to nations, their residents, the overall economic system. By cooperating with each other with water resource management, countries can collectively control usage, and share resources in a mutually beneficial manner.

After government coordination to help share resources, individual governments must impose laws relates to their respective jurisdictions related to water misuse and waste. According to research conducted by Mamdouh , water waste and misuse are an important catalyst of scarcity within the region. In order to engrain better habits into society many countries have enacted stiff penalties for those who pollute water resources or misuse available inventory. For example, the country of Egypt imposes penalties on individuals who organizations that pollute the Nile river which is primary source of water in the region. In addition the country has engaged in a nationwide campaign to help promote proper water resource allocation within the region. This nationwide campaign is designed to help nearly 100 million Egyptians better rationalize water resources in the region. Here the combination of collaborative efforts between countries to equitably use water can ultimately help prevent conflict between rival nations. Likewise, the prevention of conflict can also mitigate the changes of water resources being weaponized in countries such as Libya. Finally each country should engage in national information and awareness campaigns to help reduce the waste and misuse of scarce water resources.